Early Results of an Investigation into Ancient Kiln Sites Producing Ceramic Storage Jars and Some Related Issues

Bibliographic Data

ID9368441
AuthorsDashu Qin (corresponding author), Jung‐Jung Chang, Jung Jung Chang, Yu Shan (0000-0002-7210-9414)
Year2017
Volume103
Issue1
Pages359-384
Publication date2017-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBulletin de l Ecole française d Extrême-Orient (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0336-1519 • E-ISSN: 1760-737X
PublisherÉcole française d'Extrême-Orient (PUBLISHER • FR)
DOI10.3406/befeo.2017.6256
OpenAlexW2918527975
LanguageEN
Citations received3

Storage jars, in spite of size variance, share some common characteristics in terms of their coarse body and glaze and rare decoration and thus had received little attention from researchers. However, more attention was recently paid to these jars, in terms of their production places and their functions: first, scholars in Japan studied these jars in relation with tea drinking rituals; secondly, the development of underwater archaeology resulted in the exposure of many jars, in various sizes. This paper introduces some kiln sites where jars were unearthed after systematic excavations, along the coastal areas of southern China (kiln sites of Guanchong, Dagangshan and Qishi in Guangdong, and of Cizao in Fujian). The paper also discusses the functions of the jars. It also pays attention to insufficiently studied jars produced in northern China. Based on archaeological findings, the paper shows that large-size jars only appeared there in the latter part of the 11th century, later than in southern China. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the major production places of these jars were Cizhou kiln in Hebei and Juntai kiln in Henan. The basic function of these jars was to store water

Archaeology · Ceramic · China · Glaze · Kiln · Metallurgy · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · History · Materials Science

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